The Child in the Sky
by elemental aquamarine
Summary: this is my first fan fic so be nice, thank you B4K4 R3DUX for WRITING chapter 8 and typing for me, and yeah, comment please!
1. The woman in the black strapless dress

"So, Why am I doing this again?" Dr. Brennan asked.

"Well we need to go undercover. There might be dead bodies involved and you have improved at your acting" Booth responded as he put his shirt on. He and Brennan were staying in a hotel room. Together.

Brennan nodded. "Um thanks. So why are we doing this?"

Booth knew that when Bones asked a lot of questions she was nervous. "We are going under cover because, the kids won't talk to us if they know that we are FBI." _And we do need some time alone. _Booth thought, but didn't dare say.

"Well I'm not FBI."

"Yeah, but you are a doctor, and to them that is just as bad."

"OK" Brennan replied as she came out of the bathroom wearing a silky black spaghetti strap dress. (The same one she wore in Las Vegas while they were investigating the death of Billie Morgan.)

"Wow Bones you look amazing. But, c'mon! We don't have all day!"

"I'm almost done! Can you do my zipper?"

Booth walked over to Brennan and zipped up the zipper. "So remember." Booth explained. "I am Jeb's brother, Tony and you're my wife, Roxanne"

"Bu—." Brennan began.

"No bones, you are my wife. Please don't start an argument. The youngest child, they call her Angel, she can read minds. So we need her to believe that you are Roxi and I am Tony."

Brennan looked defeated but then nodded.

"Ok bones, let's go Jeb is expecting us." Booth gestured to the door.

"Hello, you must be agent Booth and Dr. Brennan." A tall man with an odd mustache opened the hotel room door. "I am Jeb. Please come in."

Booth walked in, followed by Brennan. In the room, they saw a young woman; she was probably Latino or something like that.

"This is Dr Martinez." He gestured to the woman. "She is a vet." Said Jeb.

"I could see that. Given the winged children and all." Said Brennan

Booth shot her a look

"What?" Answered Brennan

"I am Max's Mother." Commented Dr. Martinez

There was silence.

"We are investigating the death of a child that might be related to the children" Remarked Brennan, changing the subject. "The child had wings to and that might be connected to—" Brennan stopped and sniffed the air. "Are those… Chocolate Chip cookies?"

Dr. Martinez smiled and went to the kitchen


	2. The wind in my hair

We all circled in a perfectly tight formation around the hotel that mom and Jeb were staying at. The second that traitor Jeb told us that we will be meeting his brother and his sister-in law, I was out the window faster than he could blink. My flock and Dylan joined me almost right after.

As I thought of a fake name I announced, "Ok guys, circle a few more times and go back to the room, I need time to think." The flock nodded and glided towards the window; everyone except for Dylan, and if he didn't go down to that window in ten seconds he will get a high-speed flying side kick from yours truly.

_Max, don't be mad at Dylan because he replaced Fang _Voice told me.

_Listen, Voice, Dylan did not replace Fang and he never will. _ I thought back

_Don't force against change. It hasn't worked for you. _

_Yeah, like when?_ I asked, and as I expected, the voice gave no answer.

"Max?" Said that concerned Dylanly tone he always had.

"What?" I answered. His Dylanly tone was counteracted by my signature bored tone.

"Why don't you give them a try, please, for me? I bet they are nice."

I sighed "For you, no; for the flock, ok. So go down to the room and I will be there in a few."

"Thanks Max" Dylan held his arms out for a hug; I ignored him and flew away. He looked sad but flew to the window anyway.

Before I went down to the room, I took off the ring that Fang gave me and stuffed it into the pocket of my windbreaker. I sighed and dove towards the window only because I could smell the chocolate chip cookies from two hundred feet in the air. Mom really knows how to lure me in.

Within a few seconds I came through the window and announced "Gimme some cookies and no one gets hurt!" For extra 'umpf' I assumed a fighting stance.

Mom interrupted me. "Sweetie, this is Tony and his wife Roxy."

I tried not to seem as embarrassed as I was.

"Nice to meet you" Said tony as he held out his hand.

I ignored it. "Well, since y'all are here why don't we all say our names?"

Dylan wasn't paying attention so he said "Dylan. Wait! Oh! Uh… Dylan."

Angel was lost in her cookie "angel……….a. Angela!" nice save angel. She smiled at me.

Iggy said "Sean"

Of course Gazzy said "Xyavier. Spelled X-Y-A-V-I-E-R"

"Tiffany-Krystal-Daisy-Azalia-Ladybug" guess who said that. I gave Nugde the evil look "But uhhh you can call me Tiffany"

"And you must be Max." Said Roxi. "Short for Maxine?"

"No. It's Max, just Max."

"So. Can we see your wings?" said Roxi.

"Way to be subtle, Bones." Tony told Roxi just above a whisper.

"Wings? We have Cookies." I heard what Tony said but I played dumb. I turned around to check out the flock. Angel had that freaked out look.

_What? angel? _I thought.

_These people are FBI! _Angel thought back.

"Ok, everyone up and away on three." I told the flock. "One…" And we were out the window as fast as rockets. Well, almost everyone. Dylan stayed.

"The girl, Roxy." Angel told us. " Her real name is Temperance Brennan, she works in a lab. With dead people! And Tony's real name is Seely Booth. He's with the FBI!"

"Why are they here?" Nudge asked.

"I don't know, but I think that they found a person with wings… dead"

_FANG! _I thought

Angel heard me and got that freaked out look in her eyes

"We have to turn around!" I commanded. And just like that we all executed a perfect barrel turn and headed back.

In about five minuets we returned.

"Hello Seely. Temperance." I said as I came in.

They looked at me like I did something really awesome, wait, I did. "How—how did you know." Said Temperance. Angel smiled, well, angelically.

"We know things." I replied.

"Well, since that cover lasted all of ten minuets," Seely replied jokingly, "Do you know anyone by the name of Jennifer Hollender?"

"Uhh. No!" That's not Fang. I sighed in relief.

"Well we found a child, about your age, dead. She had… wings." Temperance told us, with emphasis on dead.

"And I have a friend with brown hair, I s'pose you know her too." I replied.

"Max." Seely said calmingly, "Wings are a little different than hair color."

"Could you come back to Washington DC with us. Maybe you'll recognize her if you see her." Temperance offered.

"We would love to." Jeb answered politely.

Ok I will see you in about seven hours. I said and inched towards the window.

"Oh no," Said Jeb, the killjoy, "you will be flying in a plane like the rest of us, Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth reserved a plane for us to take to DC."

"No!"

"Ok then, you can fly, but stay as close to the jet as you can the whole way."

"Whatever."

Two hours later we were soaring high above the clouds we were flying above the jet and every now and then one of us would drop down to the window and say hi. Dylan decided to take the plane; he thought that he was "scared" to fly all the way, chicken. Temperance told me about the Jeffersonian (their lab). She even showed pictures that she took with her cell phone. But no matter how great she says it is, I know what it is, a lab and the second I get a chance I am out of there. There was one thing from getting out now. Brennan said that they had already brought in another child with wings, alive, to question, and his description fit fang's description exactly.


	3. The Hybrid in the Jeffersonian

Brennan, Booth, Max, Dylan, Gazzy, Nudge, Iggy, and Angel all went in Booth's car, while Jeb and Dr. Martinez rented a car. Whenever Brennan looked back, the flock was as tense as ever. Max and Sean sat at the window seats, their hands on the handle, ready to pull and escape at any time.

They arrived at the Jeffersonian about half-an-hour later. They parked in the lot and Jeb and Dr. Martinez came shortly after. When they entered the lab, Dr. Brennan turned around to see Max, and Sean were about to run out the door, Angela and Xyavier were crying, and Tiffany was doubled over in pain.

"Um, are you ok?" Dr. Brennan asked in the most concerned way she could.

"Uh yeah, yeah," Max replied trying to get the flock together. "We—we're fine."

They went down a bunch of hallways until they came to a room with pictures coating the walls.

"This is Angela Montenegro-Hodgins's office." Brennan told the flock. "The younger children can stay here with Angela while I take you, Dylan, and Sean to see our victim… ANGELA!"

"What? Oh hi sweetie." Angela came to the door. "And who do we have here?"

"This is Max, Dylan, Sean, Tiffany, Xyavier, and Angela." Brennan explained. "Can you watch Tiffany Xyavier and Angela?"

"Sure, c'mon kids." Angela beckoned to the door. Nudge went in first followed by Gazzy, and then Angel. "My name is Angela too."

"No it's not, you changed your name." Angel smiled at her angelically.

"Ok." Angela made nothing of it and walked Angel into her office and shut the door behind her.

Max, Iggy, and Dylan followed Brennan and another woman up to the platform. It was Max followed by Dylan then Iggy. There was a crashing sound, followed by a curse from Iggy. "Dammit." We turned around to find Iggy holding his shin, Cursing under his breath.

"Ig—Sean, what happened?" Max asked calmly.

"Sorry," replied Sean, "I didn't feel the chair."

"Feel?" Asked Brennan

"Oh yeah, I must have forgotten to tell you that I'm blind." Iggy stated.

"Blind?!" Brennan and the other woman said simultaneously.

"Yeah." Iggy sounded bored. "Can we move on?"

"Um sure." Said the other woman. "My name is Cam Saroyan." Cam led Max Iggy and Dylan to the table.

On the table was a body that was watery and dripping onto the table. There was a man with a beard and another guy, he was Muslim or something leaning over the body. Max sat down. She did not know this girl if that pile of grossness was a girl.

_Max, think harder. You know this girl. _The Voice

_Can you give me a hint? _I thought back.

_Think Max, think._

Angel was doing finger paints at Angela's desk. Nudge was listening to her iPod and Gazzy was playing video games on Angela's holographic screen. He was busy making sound effects whenever he killed an enemy.

"So Angela," Angel began. "What do you do?"

"I draw pictures." Angela replied, trying to use the most normal way to describe her job.

"That can't be all you do." Angel replied, her small hands coated in paint.

"Well, the gross version is that I take skulls and I draw pictures of the person when they were alive."

"That's not gross, that's cool." Angel stood up. "Where can I wash my hands?"

"Over that way, down the hall and to the left."

"Ok, thanks!" And with that angel happily skipped out the door.

Nudge took out her iPod "Hey Angela! My name is Tiffany, with an I and a lollypop over the I. Well my name is really Tiffany-Krystal-Daisy-Azalea-Ladybug. What's your full name? Angela, not you, told me that your full name is Angela Pearlygates Montenegro. Oh! Wait she didn't uh never mind. Anyway, Xyavier wants to see the dead body, I don't, I think dead bodies are gross. You?

"I, uh—" Angela started

"Angela told me that you think Dr. Temperance and Agent Seely should go out. I love the name Temperance. I wish that I was named Temperance. You? I don't like the name seely. I mean like who names their kid Seely anyway. It is a very weird name. Why aren't you a doctor like Temperance? Dr. Montenegro-Hodgins, that sounds cool. Are you married? Is his last name Hodgins? What's his first name? There is someone here named Dr. Hodgins. Is he your husband? Do you know him? I think his first name is Zack or Jack or Mack or something with an 'ack'. I'm bored. I am going to listen to my iPod now.

"Oh, my, oh." Angela was so freaked out she went to her desk and cleaned up after Angel.

Max was sitting on a chair by the table that the body was lying on. Dylan and Iggy were looking at the body, or at least Dylan was.

"I'm sorry Brennan, Cam. I don't know this person."

_Yes you do _

_ Then show me _I thought back

Suddenly the computer screen on the table lit up it showed pictures, words, and numbers. Cam and Brennan ran to the computer.

"I don't know what's going on." Cam was pushing random buttons, trying to shut it off.

"I saw one thing that I recognized, or one person I should say, the angel girl from New York, The one that I let free. We found her, but not the way that I wanted. And to add to the drama…

"Hey Max."

It was fang.


	4. The Bones with the Wings

I found Bones in her office, thinking. "It just doesn't seem rational" she suddenly stated. "I mean, I know it's right there in front of me, but it just can't be true. Right?" She looked over at me pleadingly. Her big sweet eyes pulled me in as if they had their own gravitational pull.  
I sat down next to her and she laid her head on my shoulder. "I know. It'll be okay Bones," I comforted.  
"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Camile asked from the doorway. Crap, crap, crap!  
"No, no," said Bones, removing her head from my shoulder.  
"I... uh... have some forms to drop off." Camile walked over and placed some papers on the desk. "I'll call you if I find anything... I guess." She glanced between us again and backed out. We were alone again, but the moment was gone. Wow, that sounded way worse than it should.  
She hugged me and got up to go to her computer. As she began to type, I left. I had figured out a way to get out of the lab without passing Angela or Camile's office, so I can avoid being awkward with Cam, or being called "hottie" or "studly" by Angela. Luckily, I made it through and headed for the FBI building.  
I sat at my desk, but all I could think about was Bones. This kind of irrational thing tortures her. Even so, I can't help but imagine her with silver-tipped white wings, soaring over the Jeffersonian. She was doing flips, spinning like an angel.  
"Booth." Her sweet lip moved, slowly forming my name. "Booth". I snapped back into reality and saw it was actually Sweets. Embarrassing!  
"Yeah?" I answered.  
"Are you having trouble with something?" He asked.  
"No," I sighed. "Why did you come Sweets?"  
"I got a profile on our killer in the Angel case."  
"What did you get?" I asked.  
"The person has millitary and medical background, and doesn't care that he or she killed a human... bird... uh, whatever it is."  
"Great." I dismissed him and he left, before I leaned back in my chair and sighed. How could someone do this? To an innocent child? She was so young, defenseless! I will catch that bastard if it is the last thing I do.  
But now, all I can do is wait. Leaning back further, I closed my eyes and went back to my daydream. She swirled and swooped, smiling at me all the while. Her smile was nice and sweet. I watched her going so fast that tears formed in her eyes, which just made them all the more sparkly. So beautiful... My phone rang and the caller ID read "Bones".  
"Yes, beautiful."  
"Booth?" Camile asked.  
"Oh!" I almost fell out of my chair. "Camile, why are you on Bones' phone?"  
"Dr. Brennan is in trouble, come NOW!  
I got up and rushed out the door. "Don't worry Camile, I'll be right there!"  
"Don't call me Cami-," I hung up in the middle of her sentence, running downstairs and out onto the sidewalk.  
I got to the Jeffersonian in about five minutes because I used the Siaran. I ran into the main room to find Max, Nick, Sean, Dylan,and Bones, my Bones, covered in blood.  
"Bones, are you ok? Please, c'mon." I lifted her to a sitting position. "Bones, Bones, what happened? Bones?"  
"Don't call me Bones!" She smiled at me, and I smiled back.  
"Can we end this gushy moment?" Max stood up and brushed her jeans off. "Report."  
"Fine," Nick said as he got up.  
"Bloody nose, but otherwise ok." Sean rose up and patted his jacket.  
"I'm fine, are you alright?" Dylan moved closer to Max.  
As Max scooted closer to Nick, she replied."I'm good. Are you ak Temperance?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Micro fractures on both distal radaii..." Brennan began catologing her injuuries and I went over tp Camile.  
"Hey Camile. Uh, can you forget how I answered the phone earlier?" I asked.  
"Don't call me Camile and we have a deal."  
"Ok Cam, or would you prefer Dr. Saroyan?"  
"Cam is fine." Cam smiled and walked away, and I turned to face the Flock.  
"So, who wants to tell me what that is?" I pointed at a wolf lying prone on the ground.  
Max ignored me, and turned to face where Angela, Xyavier, and Tiffany had arrived. "Okay guys. We need to see if there are more coming." I saw her tap the back of Sean's hand twice. Everyone nodded, running out the door and swooping into the air. THey were followed by Angela, Bones, Cam, and I, all on foot. We stepped outside to see the most amazing thing any of us had ever viewed. Seven pairs of wings were soaring in circlees above the Jeffersonian. I felt someone grab my hand and and I looked over to see Bones. She was so happy with her eyes on the sky.  
"Booth, I know this sounds irrational, but I want to fly, to have wings, to just be above everything, the wind in my hair. Flying fast."  
"You can fly Bones."  
"How?"  
"There are different ways to fly," I said. I put my arms around her waist and she didn't flinch. She grabbed my collar and pulled me in closer and closer until her soft lips met mine and were both flying!


	5. The Questions for the Flock

"Okay, kids, pair up!" Booth said, clapping his hands together.

Yeah, that Booth guy decided to interrogate us. Because of, you know, all those Erasers attacking the Jeffersonian, Brennan, and all. So, here we are, in the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building.

"Come on, what are you guys waiting for?" Booth clapped his hands again impatiently.

I looked at Fang and he tapped Iggy on the hand twice. I stepped towards Angel and Fang went to Gazzy. Iggy reluctantly stepped over to Nudge. Nudge smiled. Dylan was left alone.

"Dylan, you can be first." Booth opened the door to the interrogation room, and Dylan walked in.

"Okay guys," I began. "Angel, will you project all of the interviews to us?" Angel nodded. "And remember..." I started.

"Annoy them as much as possible!" Gazzy, Nudge, and Angel answered together.

"Good kids," I said proudly.

And with that, the door opened and Dylan walked out.

"Max, Angel, you're up," Dylan said, saying my name oddly, which worried me greatly. Nothing new.

We walked into a darkly lit room, and the only exits were the door we came through and the one-way mirror, which I presumed held Dr. Brennan and that fetus of a psychologist.

"Okay, let's start with your real names," Booth said.

"Max," I said.

"Angel," Angel said.

Booth was surprised that he got an answer on the first try. But he continued.

"Okay...let's give a straight answer here. Who the hell were those hunks of bloody, furry meat on the ground?"

"Well," I said. "That depends on what you'll believe."

"No time for jokes."

"Oh, sorry, that's Iggy's specialty."

"Can you just answer the question?"

"What question?" Angel rocks at playing dumb.

"Listen, you guys are giving me a hard time. Just answer the damn question!"

"They're called Erasers," I said, intervening,

"You mean like...pencil erasers?"

"Yes," I said sarcastically. "A bunch of pencil erasers grew feet and attacked us."

"Please, just cooperate with me, Max."

"Whatever." My bored tone at its best.

Suddenly Angel's voice echoed in my head.

_Booth likes the science lady._

"Please, Max, what were those things?"

"I'll answer that question if you answer one of mine," Angel said sweetly.

Booth sighed. "Okay, fine. Sure."

"Do you want to tap asses with that doctor lady?"

Booth was speechless. I tried not to laugh. "Uhm, I don't think it's really right to discuss that in front of a six-year-old."

"Seven," Angel and I said at the same time.

"Okay, seven year old."

"They're human-lupine hybrids," Angel told him.

"What?"

I stepped in. "The Erasers. Half man, half wolf, you know, like a big evil rabid doggie."

"Okay, that's a start...now howsabout you tell me about some of your powers."

"Okay, sure." Angel smiled and took out the barrette that held her curly blonde hair up. "You love Temperance, you dated Cam, who slept with the ex-husband of Angela, who is married to Hodgins, who is friends with Zack, who was the intern of Temperance, who you love." Angel smiled again.

Booth's mouth was slightly open. "Uh...how about you, Max?"

"We-ell," I said. "I can fly at the speed of sound and breathe underwater, but I don't think I can show you either of those now."

"Okay...do you recognize these photographs?" Booth showed us four pictures. One of us flying out of that fancy restaurant in New York, one of us flying out of that football stadium in Texas, one of ter Borcht, and one of that bey-otch Anne Walker.

"Yes, yes, eww, and God."

"You know these people?" Booth asked.

"Yeah, this was our 'mom,'" I said, pointing at Anne's picture.

"And your dad?" Pointing at ter Borcht.

"Ew! No! He was a creepy serial murderer trying to kill us!"

"Oh," Booth said.

"Like Howard Epps, the Gravedigger, and Gormagon," Angel said. "Can we go now?"

"Um, okay, sure." Angel obviously had gotten into Booth's mind. We got up and left.

FANG:

Max exited the room. She looked over at me and smiled. Dylan, who was standing beside me, smiled back, thinking the smile was meant for him.

"Fang, you're up," Max said.

"Finally!" Gazzy stood up and walked in. I followed. I would describe the room, but Max, being of more words than I, probably already did. We sat down and Booth was waiting.

"What are your names?"

"Fang."

"Gazzy."

"Is Gazzy short for something?"

"The Gasman."

"You know what, I don't want to know how you got that name."

"Good choice," I said. Gazzy smiled.

"Anyway," Booth continued, "who can tell me more about the Erasers?"

"Don't you want to know our powers?" Gazzy asked innocently.

"Why not." Booth could go with any info he could acquire.

I quickly relaxed and didn't move. This is how I become invisible. Slowly my body disappeared as Gazzy distracted Booth with his vast (and scary) knowledge of guns and explosives. When Gazzy finished, Booth looked over at where I used to be.

"Where the hell is Fang?" Booth stood up.

"Right here, God." I became visible again.

"Okay...whatever. What can you tell me about the Erasers?"

"We kicked their asses," I replied without skipping a beat.

"Yeah!" Gazzy high-fived me.

"Oh, never mind. Fang, your girlfriend is Max, right?"

"Yes."

"And I'm dating the bones lady, right?" Gazzy said in Booth's voice.

There was a long pause. Then Booth said "No, I know that, Bones!" Obviously talking to his earpiece.

I started laughing. That's when Booth knew he was getting nowhere and dismissed me and Gazzy.

IGGY:

I heard the door open and Fang told me and Nudge that we were up.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! I am sooo bored out here!" Nudge ran in. I followed.

"Nudge, Iggy, please sit down."

I heard Nudge sit down and I felt someone grab my arm. I jerked away and put up my fists, ready to punch.

"Oh, sorry, Iggy. I thought you might need help to your seat." The voice was unfamiliar.

"Who are you?"

"I'm sorry. My name is Doctor Lance Sweets." I could feel his hand held out to shake. I shook it, and sat down.

"Hi, Sweets. I may be blind, but I'm not an idiot."

"Okay, I'm sorry. Anyway, how are you?" Sweets tried to save the situation.

"Pissed," I replied,

"Well, I'm good thank you for asking. I was so bored in that room i mean like sooooo bored. Can't you have like some kind of TV in there...?"

As Nudge kept talking, I was glad she didn't explode from talking too long.

"Overall, I'm fine," Nudge finally finished. Thank God.

"Okay, Iggy, can you describe what happened?"

"Okay then, I heard the Erasers attack us so I kicked their asses!" Nudge and I high-fived.

"Um, no offense Iggy, but I am starting to question the fact that you are blind."

"Oh my God! What the hell? I'm effing blind? Okay, you know what, I don't care if your girlfriend is an airhead, that doesn't make you one too!" Useful info from Angel.

Silence.

"I'm gonna leave now." Nudge and I got up and left.

"I heard Max say, "Okay, let's go. I saw this cool garden we can sleep in."

"Awesome! Let's go!"

Max jumped out the window, followed by Fang, then Dylan, then me, then the younger kids. The smell of fresh air was so nice and refreshing. It wasn't so hot and it was raining a little. There was some wind, but not tornado windy. Whatever. Iggy out!


	6. The Details on the Platform

Drs. Brennan, Hodgins, Saroyan, and Arastoo all stood on the platform, examining the body.

"The victim suffered from scoliosis, as well as a worn and fractured patella," noted Brennan into her recorder.

"That would indicate the victim kneeling in a small enclosed space for long periods of time." Dr. Saroyan added.

"Also, the muscular tissue surrounding her scapula is not nearly as strong and well-developed as Max's. She spread her wings less than once per year."

"Arastoo, have you found cause of death yet?" Brennan asked him.

"Well, for one thing, her face was smashed, and her neck was broken, does that count?" Arastoo pointed at the crushed sinus cavity. "She also suffered from malnourishment, but I'm certain that's not cause of death."

"Very good, Mr. Vizzeri," Brennan said.

Arastoo left to pray. Angela stepped onto the platform.

"What is it, Angela?"

"The clothing the victim was wearing was a plain cotton nightdress."

"Thanks, Angela," Brennan replied. Angela went back to her platform.

"There seems to be puncture marks on the bones, maybe from a needle. I'll run a tox screen on the remaining tissue to see if there were any toxins in her system." Cam started scraping as some flesh.

"Hey, you guys…take a look at this." Brenna pointed at the broken neck.

"The neck's broken. Arastoo already—"

"No, look closer." Brennan pointed at the neck again.

"Remodeling," Cam said.

"Her neck was broken fatally before, but healed and recovered, and look, no blood staining.

"So what?"

"So that means the victim had been dead for at least six hours, brought back to life, and killed again in a matter of days." Brennan was surprised and a little disgusted.

"Brought back to life…" Cam was astonished.

"Oh, this is good. This is really good. The government experiments on people, and then when they fail, they kill them!" Hodgins exclaimed.

"How, in any way, is this good?" Brennan asked.

"Well, for Hodgins, this is paranoia gold," Cam explained.

"Ugh, Hodgins, I hate it when you make paranoia plausible. It's like sliding off a cliff." Brennan turned back to the body. "Hey, can someone get Angela?"

"ANGELA!" Cam yelled, causing some of the guards to jump and look over.

"I have a phone, you know." Angela walked over. "What?"

"Angela," Brennan began, ignoring her. "This injury is not form a normal weapon. Can you make a cast, and narrow down the possible weapons?"

"Sure, whatever." Angela grabbed the skull and headed back to her office.

"The only particulates I found were just plain sewage, nothing special. I'll find Angela so I can swab the skull." Hodgins followed Angela out.

"Hey, Cam." Brennan picked up the femur and weighed it in her hands. "These bones seem lighter than normal, what do you think?" Cam weighed the bone herself. "How light are bird bones?"

"Doctor Brennan, what are you thinking?"

"It's too early to conjecture."

"Hey, I call the shots around here. Let me see some of that big brain of yours."

"I think the victim suffered from osteogenesis imperfecta."

"Brittle bone disease?"

"The victim's bones were like bird bones. I need the femur, tibia, fibula, and humerus." Brennan reached for the bones.

"Why?" Cam asked.

"Since the victim's bones were brittle, they could easily fracture. I need to see if there was any previous breaks." And with that, Brennan left, leaving Cam on the platform. She walked briskly down the hall, until she ran into Arastoo."

"Mr. Vizzeri, can you examine these bones for any sign for remodeling?" Brennan handed the tray of bones to Arastoo.

"Yes, Doctor Brennan."

Brennan continued walking to her office.


	7. The Flight in the Night

The flock and I coasted down until we landed down on the grass. Gazzy, Nudge, Angel, Iggy and Dylan all flew up to different branches of a tall oak tree, while Fang and I went up a neighboring tree.

"Hey…Maxie?" Fang looked at me, daring me to say something.

I decided to let it go. "Yes…Fangy?"

He rolled his eyes. "Um…remember when I left?"

Oh, dear God. "How could I _not?"_

"Well…I never told you what happened when I left. I made a second flock…well more of a micro-flock, really, and there was a girl in it…and she kinda flirted with me. When I told her I had a girlfriend, she flipped out, called me an asshole, and ran off."

"Why do I care about this, Fang?"

"That girl…was Topaz."

I was stunned. "So, she called you an asshole, and now she's dead."

"Well…yeah."

"You could have killed her."

"I could have…"

"You have no alibi."

"No, I don't, but I didn't kill her, and if I did, it would have been for you."

"Bad word choice…Fangy." And with that, I jumped off the branch and flew off.

Washington DC is so pretty from the sky, especially at night. All the lights are reflected on the Potomac River. But I was still pissed. I jammed my hands into my pockets, only to find the ring Fang gave me, that I had put in my pocket earlier. I took it out and saw that I was passing over the reflecting pool and without even thinking, I dropped the ring, and flew away before it hit the water.

I kept flying until I reached my destination: the Jeffersonian.

"If anyone's gonna find out if Fang killed Topaz," I said out loud, "it's gonna be me."

I coasted down to the double doors of the building and I made my way to the lab. Where, as I expected, Topaz was lying. I walked over to the smelly remains and looked at them. I brought myself to put on some latex gloves, and I looked at the hand of the victim. My raptor vision saw little cracks…what did Brennan call them? Microfractures…they made a square. Wait…the skull! Where's Brennan?

I ran down the hall to Angela's office, where I found Brennan, Hodgins, Cam, and Angela.

"A waffle iron?" Brennan asked.

"Well, yeah. That's what I came up with to explain the skull fractures.

"It wasn't a waffle iron." I entered the room and walked over to the screen. "There's minifractures on the hands."

"Microfractures, Max, microfractures. Those looked to be defensive wounds."

"No, the MICROfractures made a square."

"The victim could have shielded her face."

"No, then the fractures on the distal radii would be at an angle. We need strat 180 degrees impact, which means the hands were parallel to the skull and her humerus would be perpendicular to the weapon," Brennan explained.

"Oh my god…I should have seen it." I looked down at my own hands, and tried not to sob. The lab smell…the memories…the cause of death…it was too much. I ran out of the room and down a few halls until I was outside. I was just about to fly off when…

"Max, wait!" Brennan ran outside. I turned around and she saw I was crying. "Max, please tell me! I…we can help." She came over to me and we both sat down on the steps of the Jeffersonian. By now I was sobbing. I laid my head on her shoulder. I hated feeling helpless, but I needed a release.

"Max." She stroked my hair. "What do you think was cause of death?"

I was broken. The lab, Fang, Topaz, it was all too much. But we have to find out who killed Topaz, Fang or not. I could only get a few words out.

"A cage." I took a deep breath. "It was a cage."

Fang:

Max flew away, and I felt the spray from her tears as she headed for the sky. I loved Max. I still do. I didn't kill topaz and I can't believe that Max thinks I did. I DIDN'T! Ugh! I jumped off the branch and landed on the soft grass and ran. I ran until I found a stick on the ground. I picked it up and began to carve it into a point. I didn't know why. I just needed something to kill the anger.

I used the moonlight to see what I was doing. As I was carving there was a shadow that darkened all around me. I looked up and saw a cloud of Erasers. Damnit! Not now!

I jumped up and grabbed my stick-knife, ready to stab anybody.

Each Eraser landed around me, one by one. After twenty or so had landed, they looked angry. Well, duh. I stabbed my makeshift knife into five or six Erasers before giving up on it. Once by one the Erasers began to drop. Dead. Why would they send expired Erasers? To annoy me? To distract me? _To distract me! Max!_

I snapped out my wings and gave Angel a mental message of where I was going.

_Max…_

_I love you…_

_Max…_

_Max!_


	8. The Pie in the Egyptology Department

**Hey! b4k4-r3dux here! I have the oh-so-awesome privilege of making a cameo here. So I'm hijacking chapter eight! (With the permission of elemental aquamarine ****J****) Hope you enjoy it, and don't throw tomatoes at me! XP PS: If you get the chapter title, you are OFFICIALLY a complete and utter Bones nerd like us :D but that's okay. Think Pain in the Heart. BTW, sorry it's a bit short, but I'm working in between EA's Chapter 7 and Chapter 9, and I'm finding this a bit of a challenge…**

"Max, wait!" Brennan ran out of the room, trying and failing to keep up with the strength of Max's genetically enhanced legs.

"Doctor Brennan!" Cam called.

"Sweetie?"

"Doctor Brennan?"

But Brennan was long gone, off to find wherever Max was going.

"Well, that was weird," said Angela, pulling her long hair back into a bun and securing it with a pencil.

"I agree," Hodgins said, still staring at where Brennan had run out like her lab coat was on fire, as if he could still see her.

"Well, she'll come back at some point," Cam said. "I'll be in my office if she asks for me." Angela and Hodgins nodded.

Suddenly, the two were alone.

And they were very aware of it.

"Egyptology?" Hodgins asked Angela. She nodded, and they ran down the stairs like _their _lab coats were on fire. And as if they were, they immediately slipped out of them and were in each other's arms. Hodgins kissed Angela, and he kissed her back, but there didn't seem to be the usual fire or passion behind the kiss. Hodgins slid his hands up Angela's back, ready to dance their usual dance, when suddenly she pulled away, something she had never done before.

"What's wrong?" Hodgins asked her, concerned. She never _didn't _want to be down here, never _didn't _want to be in his arms.

"I don't know, I just…never mind. It's okay. Forget it."

"No, I will not." Hodgins lightly bit her collarbone and kissed her neck. "I'll never forget it, and I'll put a swarm of _phanaeus vindex_ in your pillowcase if you don't tell me." The threat of dung beetles in her bed was idle, but the Latin name made it sound scarier.

"You know I can't resist when you get all scientific…" said Angela, sighing and putting her arms around his neck. "It's just…I can't get over those seven kids."

"What do you mean, get over them?"

"I don't know, I just…they don't have any parents, and, I don't know, I just…"

"Just, what?" Hodgins started to get suspicious. "What are you getting at?"

She looked him straight in the eyes, and he knew she was about to tell him exactly what she was getting at. "I want to adopt them."

"What…what?" Hodgins was stunned for a moment. "All of them…?"

"I don't know, Jack. But I want to at least give the littler ones a permanent home. Max, Fang, Iggy, they might not want real parents, or a home, but…I don't know…I just…I want them."

"I…um, have you thought about this, you know, at all?"

"Only for the entire day, all yesterday…I can't get it out of my head, Jack. I want those children." Her brown eyes looked pleadingly into his blues. "You remember? I want like a million. I might as well start with these seven."

Hodgins was speechless. He ran a hand through his curly hair and breathed out. He didn't know what to make of what Angela had just proposed.

"And you can't make the excuse it'll be too expensive, because Zack once said you were rich squared to the power of ten times four, and we have room in the house, and you wouldn't even have to be nice to them if you really didn't want to, and…"

"Angela," Hodgins stopped her speech flow. "I'm not saying no. I'm just saying…let me think about it."

She looked at him and nodded, smiling slightly, then smashed her lips against his. They toppled backward onto the replica of Cleopatra's bed, undoing buttons and zippers and dress ties as they went.

Now _this _was more like their usual visits to the Egyptology department.

…

Cam looked for Angela and Hodgins, but couldn't find them anywhere. She couldn't bring herself to check the security cameras, for fear of what she would see. She still shuddered from the images of the last time she checked the cameras while those two maniacs were on their lunch breaks.

…

Fang was swearing under his breath. He'd been staking out the Jeffersonian for half an hour now, and there were no Erasers storming it. There was only a super-fancy car, pulling into the parking lot. It was quite late, but if all the Jeffersonian's workers were nuts like Doctor Brennan was, it wouldn't be too unusual for cars to pull in at midnight.

He flew down from the high tree he was perched in, coasting down and landing almost silently on the roof of the parking garage. He ran and jumped from that roof to the roof of the actual lab, and slipped in an open window. It was only a matter of time before he found Angela's office.


	9. The Memories in the Cage

Max cried and cried, her warm tears making my shoulder wet.

"Max?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

"…Yeah?"

"Why? What's wrong? What made you cry?"

Max took a deep breath. "A while ago, the flock minus Dylan lived in peace. Until Angel got kidnapped…"

As Max told her story, I began to tear up. I didn't realize how hard they had it.

"Later we got kidnapped again, all of us. They made us believe that everything we experienced was a dream…"

The more Max told, the more I cried.

"And then Fang left after Dylan came…and now…we're here."

"Oh, wow. Max—I'm well, oh, Max."

"Yeah."

"Well…I have been kidnapped. Twice."

"Really," Max got a little happier knowing I've been through this.

"Yeah. I was kidnapped, bound, gagged, and almost shot by a former FBIT agent. Until Booth…Booth saved my life."

"And the other time?"

"I was buried alive with Dr. Hodgins. We managed to escape last minute, and I was saved by…"

"Lemme guess. Booth?"

"Yeah…Booth…I'll be right back." I jumped up and ran inside. Max followed.

I found Booth in my office, probably waiting for me.

"Hey, Booth,"

"Yeah, hey, Bones, guess what? I found a—"

I leaned in and kissed him.

Max:

It had been a minute and a half already and they haven't stopped locking lips.

I heard someone running down the hall. Fang.

"Max, I…are you okay?"

"Yeah."

"Thank God…I am so sorry, Max."

"No need to explain…Fangy." And I kissed him.

As we kissed, I saw Angela and Hodgins walk in, shrug, and start making out.

"I love you," I managed between breaths.

"Me too."

At that moment Cam walked in. And in the few days I've been here, I have learned that Cam finds a way to be wherever there is awkwardness.

"Obviously I didn't get the memo." Cam stood in the doorway. "Angela, Hodgins, uh, when you're done, can you help me find what kind of cage it was? And remember…security cameras, people, this building is full of them." Cam left, along with the two.

"Fangy and Maxie, sitting in a tree…" Damn. It's Iggy.

I turned around to see the whole flock staring at us.

"Um, well…" Fang started.

"It was a cage," I tried to change the subject. "A cage."

"Oh, God…" began Nudge.

"So that means…"

"Yes, you are very zmart cheeldren. Ve vill regret it ven ve have to keel you."

And if things couldn't get any worse.


	10. The Return Of The Snickahs Bahrs

I opened my eyes and looked around. It was blurry, and my head felt as if I had walked head-on into a wall. After blinking several times, I could see around me somewhat clearly, and I realized that I was being carried. I quickly turned my head to see who it was, but I felt a sharp pain...and then it all went dark again.

I felt my head bang against something, and I sat up to see darkness. My forehead was throbbing, and I felt something warm...sweat or blood? I tried to rub my forehead, but found I couldn't. My hands were tied behind my back. I looked around to see darkness. It takes the average human twenty minutes for their eyes to adjust to darkness. I heard breathing...I wasn't alone. Good or bad? I wasn't sure.

It took me a few minutes to realize I was in a truck, or a van. My eyes began to adjust, and I saw three figures. The more my eyes adjusted, the clearer I could see Booth.

"Booth, Booth," I whispered, trying to scramble over to him. "Booth. Booth!"

"Wha...ughh...Bones?" His voice was cracked and broken.

"Booth...where are we? What happened?"

"I don't know...I—I don't know..."

The other figures rolled around in the corner of the van. "Gazzy? Iggy?"

"What?" replied Iggy groggily.

"Five more minutes..." Gazzy rolled over.

"No, kids, come on, wake up now!" Brennan made her way as best she could to them.

"Max?"

"No...Max isn't here...it's me, Brennan."

"What?" They both sat up.

"Max isn't here. Where are we?" Brennan asked.

"A van," Iggy groaned.

"We're going to need more than that," Booth mumbled.

"Who was that man who came into my office?" Brennan cut across him.

There was a pause, and Gazzy began to sniffle.

"Ter Borcht," Iggy replied solemnly.

"Bless you?"

"No. The guy. His name is ter Borcht. And..." Iggy faltered.

"And what?" I was afraid of the answer.

"And he's gonna kill us," Gazzy finished. As if the day couldn't get any worse.

(Cam's POV)

"The bars are made of stainless steel," Hodgins began.

"And are approximately two inches apart both ways." Angela brought up a picture on her holographic screen.

"Great," I said. "How long will it take to recreate the death?"

"With all the variables...I'd say about ten minutes."

"Great," I repeated. "I'll go and get Brennan." I went down the hall toward her office, praying as I went that Booth and Brennan were..."done."

"Brennan!" I turned the corner and looked into Brennan's office. The room was empty. I looked around, and at my feet was a pool of dark red...blood. Not a fatal amount...but close. Whoever it was would have passed out.

"ANGELA!" I screamed. "HODGINS!"

"What? Cam...what? Oh...oh my God..." Angela spluttered as she burst in the door. "Is that...?"

"I...I think so...blood."

"Whose blood?"

"I don't know...what is this?" I bent down and picked up a small ring on the floor.

"What is that?" Hodgins asked.

"A ring. Brennan's ring."

"Oh, my God." Angela was frozen.

"This is the poker chip that Booth always carries with him," I said, picking it up. "They took them..."

"Who? Brennan and Booth?"

"Brennan...Booth...and Max, Fang...Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, Dylan, Angel..."

"Oh...God..."

No matter what I said or thought, I loved Booth. He couldn't die. I wouldn't let him.

(Brennan's POV)

"We're gonna what?" My heart began to race.

"They're gonna experiment on us. And kill you." I gulped. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded me, making my eyes hurt. I felt wind on my body. And then I passed out.


	11. The Reliving of the Nightmares

(Brennan's POV)

I awoke on the cold metal ground, my shoulders sore. I tried to rub my head, which was still throbbing. This time, I succeeded; my hands were untied. After a few minutes, I realized that I was in a cage. About five by five by five, stainless steel bars about two inches apart both ways. My hands were bloody around the knuckled and wrists. Defensive wounds.

"Vell, vell, vell. Vhat do ve have here."

That was the voice I heard. What did Gazzy call him?

"Let me see..." Ter Borcht. That was it. I heard him walking the floor.

"Fang. Max. Angel. Dylan. Nudge. Ze Gasman, vhat a revolting name. Und Iggy. And you." I heard him approach my cage.

"Vhat a pretty little thing you are. Vhat is your name?" I was silent. "Come on, sveetie. I don't bite." I was still silent. I heard a click, then a creak, and then I was being pulled to my feet, out of the cage. I tried to run, but ter Borcht's grip didn't move off my waist.

"You bastard...let...let go of me!" I tried to kick him, but failed.

"Oh, sveetie. Stop your fighting. I don't vant to hurt you." He used his free hand to tuck a dirty lock of hair behind my ear, running his hand down my cheek to my chin.

"Get the hell off of me!" I launched a final side kick. It hit him square in the chest. He gasped for breath, but quickly regained his balance.

"Sveetie. You are too pretty for me to keel just yet. I do...someting elze."

I knew what he meant...anyone would. My mind raced...I had to get out here...NOW!

(Booth's POV)

The room was dark. I had figured out already that I was in a cage, when I heard Bones yell.

"You bastard! Let go of me!" Bones! I looked around and saw that there was another cage on the other side of me. Iggy was in it. "Iggy, Iggy," I whispered.

"What?" Thank God. He wasn't dead.

"Do you have anything? Bombs? Grenades? Bazookas?"

"Well...I have your gun."

"You have what?"

"Get the hell off of me!" I heard Brennan yell.

"Okay, just...give me the gun." I heard something slide over the floor, and I jammed my fingers through the bars of my crate, getting it just barely. There was only one bullet left. I cocked it and only then realized that I couldn't see what I was aiming at. I had to take a blind shot. A shot in the dark.


	12. A Shot in the Dark

BOOTH'S POV

My hands shook as I carefully aimed the gun out towards the voices. I could hear Bones trying to run away. Throwing various curses at Borcht.

What if I miss Borcht all together? Or worse, what if I hit Bones?

_Don't think about that Booth. _He thought to himself. _I am a sniper for god's sake!_

My hand was shaking less now. I could aim now.

"Get the hell off of me!" Bones screamed

"Aw Cahm down, you sveet little zing. I am not zat bahd!"

_Don't think. Aim for the voice._

_ Aim for the voice._

_ Aim for the voice._

FLASH

BANG

SCREAM

The wrong scream.

Brennan's scream.

BRENNAN'S POV

The initial pain of the injury startled me; I had been stabbed, exploded, and kidnapped before but never shot. But thankfully my adrenaline kicked in and the excruciating pain became numb sensation. Borcht looked as startled as I was. What the hell was he trying to do? Flirt with me then shoot me? I just didn't seem right. I was loosing too much blood. I couldn't think strait. I was dizzy. Maybe if I sat down. Before I could my legs collapsed and I fell on to a table beside me.

The last thing I remembered hearing was Booth's voice: "Bones, I am so sorry."

Sorry for what? What was he apologizing for?

_Borcht looked as startled as I was._

_ What was he trying to do?_

_ It didn't make sense._

The last thought in my mind before I passed out

_Booth shot me._


End file.
